


A Dragon's Determination

by Junichiro13



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting (mentioned), Angst, Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama, Drinking, Emotional Baggage, Fire Emblem References, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Idea and Parallels to the Yakuza Game Series, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Smoking, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-02-22 12:10:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22115755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Junichiro13/pseuds/Junichiro13
Summary: He has seen the fate of Fodlan through different perspectives countless times. Sickened of the endless march through time, Byleth Eisner chose to do the most insane act of using the power bestowed upon him to send him into the unknown future. Never again will he have to deal with anything related to the three countries and the Church.And he succeeded in doing so.But, after living a new life and tackling several issues in the modern world, he finds himself back to where everything started.
Kudos: 52





	1. The One that Comes and Goes

**Author's Note:**

> Everything's gotta start from somewhere.

**Morning, 30 th Day of the Great Tree Moon - I.Y. / B.R. 1185  
Gronder Field**

For a certain emotionless, dark-teal haired mercenary who lived countless lifetimes due to having merged with a goddess revered by many, the experience ranges from surprisingly surreal to downright repulsive. Seeing the world through different perspectives may have absolved his naivety and ignorance but having to live knowing that pursuing one path leads to the destruction of the rest weighs heavily on both his mind and heart.

From his position atop the mountains, he could see the three armies preparing for the inevitable clash. The leaders of each faction discussing with their advisors on what steps they’ll take to eliminate each other. It was more apparent on the side of the [Adrestian Empire] and the [Holy Kingdom of Faerghus]. Both sides prove to be the greatest threat to each other. The Boar King certainly wants everyone in the empire, and anyone siding with Crimson Emperor, dead. The same goes for the emperor which sees the kingdom as the biggest roadblock to her crusade.

The [Leicester Alliance] always tried to remain neutral in the conflict, despite the massive in-fighting between the presiding nobles. They would try to minimize the damage the two would create but with the Emperor’s plan to cut off their messengers to create discord, they are forced to partake in the chaos in the scorching battlefield. It never ends well for them all. It’d be a miracle if any side managed to survive with minimal losses.

Even if he tried searching for an alternative, unknown variables would throw his plans to the trash and he would either gain or lose more from the actions he committed. Everything changes too frequently, making it difficult for him to do anything to delay or prevent the war.

With a heavy sigh, left the scene, carrying certain weapons with him.

* * *

**Evening, 10 th Day of the Harpstring Moon - I.Y. / B.R. 1185  
Enbarr – Imperial Castle Dungeons**

He never found it difficult slipping in the castle’s dungeons since he memorized the building’s layout and the guards’ schedule shifts. It also helped that he obtained said information from the emperor herself in timelines he joined her zealous crusade in abolishing the current social system.

The mercenary arrived at a certain cell. On the right side, is a mint green-haired woman in white sleeping on the cold stone floor.

_It’s for the best I quickly wrap this up. I’m not in the mood to deal with the archbishop._

He brought out his trusty lockpick and manipulated the lock’s insides until he heard a satisfying clang from it.

* * *

**Midnight, 10 th Day of the Harpstring Moon - I.Y. / B.R. 1185  
Enbarr - Outskirts**

He placed the archbishop’s unconscious body on top of the horse’s saddle, tying it to make sure she doesn’t fall off from the long trek back to the monastery. Hopefully, the horse would intercept the [Knights of Seiros] searching for her whereabouts just outside the capital’s perimeter.

* * *

**Afternoon, 17 th Day of the Ethereal Moon - I.Y. / B.R. 1185  
** **Hrym Mountain Range**

The longer he gazed at the mountains, the more he hated the fact that the ones who were able to cause all this pain and suffering just by having enough resources and power-hungry nobles.

Would Fodlan be better off if the blasted crest system and social hierarchy never existed? No… not yet anyway. Pulling off an immediate change to everyone’s livelihood will cause a massive backlash. It happened in every timeline he’s been in after all.

He tapped a certain part of the stone wall. Lines of blue light formed as the wall split in two and slid away from each other, revealing an obsidian corridor with intricate glowing lines racing into the unknown.

[Shambhala]… The Underground City. The stronghold of [those who slither in the dark] …

_It’s now or never…_

With a deep sigh, the mercenary stepped inside the underground city. As soon as his foot touched with the floor, the bright blue lights changed to deep crimson.

**< ALERT! ALERT! INTRUDER DETECTED!>**

Countless soldiers in black garbs stepped into the scene, with weapons and magic ready. The grip on his sword tightened.

“IF ANYONE WANTS TO DIE, THEN STEP FORWARD!”

Scenes of one-sided carnage followed.

* * *

The mercenary sat down on the stairs and gazed at his surroundings. The entire place had lifeless bodies of his enemies lying everywhere, (black?) blood tarnishing the stronghold’s bizarre beauty, shattered steel of those mechanical warriors puncturing the floor and walls…

And the leader of this twisted organization pinned on the wall behind him with silver swords rammed throughout his body.

The bastard coughed. “How…?! How could a mere sellsword… defeat us?! Let alone… find us?!”

“You guys were not exactly subtle when it comes to tying up loose ends.” He replied sarcastically, putting a pretzel stick in his mouth. “Remember Solon and Kronya? Those two provided me the rough details of your ragtag group of criminals.”

“…They what?!”

Not really. He just needed an excuse to piss off this conniving dastard, that’s all.

In every timeline he managed to capture them alive: Solon would rather die than tell anything about the [Agarthans] and Kronya only gave out bits of info before she either commits suicide or swiftly sentenced to death by the archbishop. He, along with the house he chose, would eventually siege their hideout, so it wouldn’t matter if those two lived to see tomorrow.

“Oh, and by the way, don’t bother trying to call for reinforcements.” He stood up and faced him, still taking his sweet time relishing his snack. “I’ve already dealt with pretty much everyone in your group.” The mercenary made sure to spend his five years of _inactivity_ to eliminate anyone part of this twisted organization and destroy every line of communication these bastards have efficiently.

And Goddess be damned, they have crap tons of it.

The pale-skinned bastard glared at him. In response, he just stabbed him all over his body again with the swords and daggers lying on the ground.

“Since I’m done here…” He walked towards the room behind the pin-cushioned man and placed his hand on the lone pedestal in there.

**< SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE ACTIVATED. ALL PERSONNEL PLEASE EVACUATE IN T MINUS 10 MINUTES>**

“You… Dastard!” The man spat as he struggled to free himself from his bindings, only for the mercenary to drive the swords further in his body.

As he walked away, he shot a somewhat sadistic smile to the pin-cushioned bastard, waved two fingers and then left the stronghold.

* * *

**Afternoon, 17 th Day of the Ethereal Moon - I.Y. / B.R. 1185  
Hrym Mountain Range**

He saw from afar how the mountain exploded. That’s one problem he ticked off from his list.

The mercenary took a seat on a fallen tree trunk, stabbing two identical swords on the fine ground. He took his time examining both and discern their differences.

On his right is the [Sword of the Creator], a weapon of extraordinary power which is said to be a gift from the goddess herself. It had the ability to change to a whip-like weapon with a simple flick of the wrist.

But the legend behind it is a lie spun by the [Church of Seiros]. It was forged from the bones of the goddess, courtesy of the [Agarthans], and was used by the [False King of Liberation] to massacre countless people.

He had wielded the very same sword in pretty much every iteration and all the experience through countless combat encounters is deeply engraved into his mind and body. His knowledge in wielding such a weapon made him no different from the previous wielder. He could easily kill anyone if he wanted.

And on his left, is a darker replica of the Creator’s Sword. It was made from the remains of the goddess lying deep within the [Holy Mausoleum] and powered with two different [crest stones] which he picked up at some point during the loop. Like its original counterpart, it can also turn to whip-like sword with a wrist flick and he had used this as many times as possible.

Surprisingly enough, the weapon remains on his side every reset. He could leave it anywhere and it will appear near his bed all the time after the reset kicked in.

As time pass, the weapon felt much lighter and easy to handle. The hilt could be extended to a lance’s length and the bottom part could be attached to any weapon. For example: it could be attached to the original to form a twin lance with blades that could change to its whip-like state if wishes to do so.

Such a blasphemous combination made him conclude that this is now his preferred weapon, alongside his fists… When no one is looking, and he’s left to do whatever the hell he wants to do.

_I should probably return the swords back to its rightful place as usual,_ _alongside some of the [Heroic Relics] I nabbed from the three armies. Heh, I could already imagine the panic on their faces when they find out their weapons are gone._ _It should even out the differences in their strengths, with or without crests. And at the very least, it can tone down the damage they'll create on Gronder Field._

* * *

**Evening, 20th Day of the Ethereal Moon - I.Y. / B.R. 1185  
Garreg Mach Monastery – Room 215**

The dark mercenary stretched his arms. Returning the relics back to the tomb surprisingly went way too easy than he thought initially. Only a few guards were stationed in the area and the monastery was packed with refugees, making it easy to blend in. He just had to slap on a cape (he only wore his everyday clothes sans for the black cape and armour) and smuggle the items to where they belong. No one bothered to bat an eye.

He lied down on his bed and stared at the wooden ceiling.

_The [Divine Pulse] allows me to reverse the flow of time, courtesy of [Sothis]. I would always return to a specific point and correct my actions._

_I have, at most, 3 charges. But after certain events, I now have 13 in my arsenal. They can be spent at any time before I pass out and need to recuperate._

_The problem I have right now is that whenever I perish or succeed in the current iteration, I get sent back to the beginning at Remire who knows when. Seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years…_

_It’s out of my control and it’s only a matter of time before I get thrown into the past once more…_

_Now that I think about it, the little gremlin never fully explained how the Divine Pulse works at all. All I know is that I should focus hard enough, and I’ll get sent back to the point I needed. She probably does some bizarre hocus-pocus for that, but she’s been gone for a long time now. There doesn’t seem to be any sign of her returning any time soon…_

_…I suppose it won’t hurt to pay a visit to them. The least I can do is say goodbye._

* * *

**Evening, 20th Day of the Ethereal Moon - I.Y. / B.R. 1185  
Garreg Mach Monastery – Cemetery**

Byleth laid down flowers on a certain grave.

“Hey, Dad… Mom… My love… It’s me, Byleth. Sorry it took me this long to see you three. I had to tie up some loose ends that’s been bothering me for who knows how long now… I stopped bothering to count them.” He said. Even if the grave only displayed the name of his mother, he couldn’t stop seeing the names of his old man and monastery sweetheart engraved alongside hers.

“It’s been difficult for me since I found myself stuck in this never-ending time loop.” The dark-teal haired man brought out a silver ring. “Seeing everyone I’ve known for a long time and knowing the possibilities that may occur to them just scares me. Especially what I can do to make them happen.”

“…I’m just tired of it all and I want out of it.” Byleth admitted. “I’ve done everything I can to stop the war from happening, but the consequences get more severe the more I tried.” He added. “It’s a miracle I’m still sane after all this.”

“I know all of you will hate me for this, but I’ve been thinking about this ever since that damned day…” The man stood up, putting away the ring to his pocket. “I’m going to use the power given to me to send myself into the future.”

“Crazy, right?” The mercenary asked, scratching his head sheepishly. “I’ve had this for a long time now, yet I couldn’t bring myself to tell you guys about this… I mean, control over time isn’t something anyone should use… I had numerous chances to try and I blew all of it.”

He had plenty of moments where he could have told them about his situation. Byleth feared that they wouldn’t believe them and the possibility of someone overhearing this and threatening him with it. It happened a lot of times and they ended in tragedy.

“It’s just that, once I do this… or should I succeed at all in doing this, what will I do from now on?” The dark-teal haired man asked. “I know nothing besides mercenary work, and I doubt I’d ever want to take up anything related to teaching with all the crap I got doing so.” His new position in the monastery tore him apart in more ways than one.

After a moment of silence, Byleth chuckled. “Guess it’s up to me find out what I truly want in life. That’s what you guys want, right?” Mana began to flow around his body… “Well then.” He did his two-finger wave.

…His surroundings cracked like glass.

…And darkness swallowed him whole.

"...Farewell"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, Bylad's had enough of everyone's bullshit and the never-ending time loop (NG+). With that, he goes full 'screw this, I'm outta here' into the future, but not before leveling the playing field for everyone.


	2. A Boundless Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick glimpse of Byleth's life before everything gets awry once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much for freedom.

**10:37 PM, July 23 - R.E. 2011  
Manann, Enbarr – Commercial District**

“It’s amazing that the streets are ridiculously busy even at this time of day…”

An adult with brushed down dark-teal hair said to himself as he walked through the bustling streets of Enbarr, capital of the defunct Adrestian Empire. He stood at a normal 5’10’’, roughly 177 cm, wears a black long-sleeved polo tucked in, unbuttoned grey blazer and suit pants, silver-buckled belt and grey wingtip shoes. The man had a silver ring hanging on his neck, a silver watch on his left wrist and a lighted cigarette on his right hand. 

“Then again… There are a lot of things people can do nowadays. It’s better than getting yourself dragged into pointless wars...” He muttered, placing the cig back on his lips.

This man is Byleth Eisner, 38 years of age. A former mercenary, professor, bodyguard, debt collector, real estate manager, excommunicated yakuza of the [Kaga Clan] and most of all, currently unemployed… but is now enjoying the year after serving his 10-year sentence in prison as a regular civilian.

He had decided to take one last stroll in the city before taking an airplane back to an orphanage in Brigid.

Just then, a familiar green-haired man in a loose, unbuttoned suit and tanned trench coat landed on his sights.

“Detective Whitten.” He called out.

“Hm?” The man turned to him. “Oh, Eisner. What brings you here in this time of night?”

Seteth, or known by many as Seth Whitten of the Enbarr National Police’s Organized Crime Division and to him, the former chief aide to the late Archbishop Rhea of the Church of Seiros.

“I figured I can take one last stroll in the city before going back to Brigid to take care of the kids, especially Daisy, and manage the [Rainflower Orphanage].” Byleth replied. “What about you, detective?”

Seteth raised his right arm which is carrying a brown bag. “Bought some groceries for tomorrow. The supermarket had quite the sale earlier and Flayn told me to make most of it. Discounts and free points she said.”

There’s a long story of how they met again but that’s for another time.

“That certainly sounds like her.” The unemployed man remarked.

The detective nodded in agreement before looking at the cityscape before them, the imposing tower looming over the city. “It’s been a year since the incident.”

Byleth realized where he was looking at and felt melancholic. “Hmm…”

“I apologize. That event… took a lot from you.”

“This is the result of the paths he and I chose. Even if I wanted to turn back time and stop him, the outcome would never change. We’d both fight for our beliefs until the very end of our lives.” The sentiment comes with the fact that he could no longer use the Divine Pulse, or magic, after what he did to get out of the time loop. Even if he can, he still wouldn’t be able to make it in time. Such power shouldn’t be used by mortal hands.

“Such is the way of the yakuza, huh? Though I must admit, I’m quite impressed. To think that I’d lived long enough to see the son of the [Blade Breaker] become someone respectable in his own way… The [Dragon of Remire].” He said. “The emotionless demon ascending as a venerable dragon… Times have certainly changed.”

“I still find the nicknames corny even after seventeen years. To begin with, I didn’t even know that people call me the [Ashen Demon] until they pointed that out to me. But you eventually grow up to stop caring about it and be on your way. I never gave a damn about titles anyway.” Looking back at it, it felt having those titles made him look like he had eight-grade syndrome. At least he can’t do any of those fancy stuff anymore otherwise he would’ve completed the journey to being completely ridiculous.

Hopefully, no one would find out the title he had back in the early 90’s.

“Don’t belittle yourself, Eisner.” Seteth patted him on the back. “You earned that title rightfully with your actions and not through the insults of nameless bandits.”

A small smile formed on Byleth’s lips. It certainly is reassuring.

“I should get going now.” The greenette said, “It wouldn’t be good to remain here in the streets for long. I wouldn’t want Flayn to worry for staying this late and I have to wake up early for work.”

The former mercenary nodded and saw him off.

“Might as well do the same.”

* * *

**4:00 AM, July 24 – R.E. 2011  
Varley Residential Apartments, 2th Floor, Room 205**

Byleth immediately woke up from his bed and began checking his belongings. His flight to Brigid is in three hours and he wants to make sure everything is ready.

Smallclothes and socks… check. Boxers are oddly comfortable… Even wearing socks have this odd yet satisfying feeling. Then again, these things didn’t exist back then. The comfy ones, anyway.

Clothes and brown jacket… check. Almost forgot the Pichu evolution line-themed shirt and tropical polo Daisy recommended to him. Byleth had to admit, the yellow mouse is cute.

Phone and charger… check. Technology is truly useful despite him falling behind the times thrice. It certainly says something about his past naivety and ignorance.

Food… check. Gotta give the kids back at the orphanage something after all.

Cigarettes… check. One of the few things that gets his mind off all the headaches, especially when he ends up pondering about the past. It doesn’t do anything to his body, presumably whatever the hell Rhea did to him when he was born, but it helps him relax. As of now, he has three packs including the one he’s using.

His defining set of clothes, the silver watch and ring… check. He couldn’t part with these no matter what…

“That should be everything…” He muttered as he closed the suitcase. “All that’s left is to take a bath, give the keys back to the landlady and get to the airport before the rush hour starts.”

* * *

**6:27 AM, July 24 – R.E. 2011  
** **Enbarr International Airport, Main Lobby**

Byleth sat on one of the chairs of the airport’s lobby. He had put on earphones and played music to wait before boarding time.

_I_ _’ve listened to this song many times in the bar as much as I’ve singed my heart out when I get the chance to be alone at the karaoke. There are other songs I like, but this one resonates with my life so much…_

_Now that I think about it, one of the kids at the orphanage had a knack for singing, Azura… or was it Aqua? She tries to be enigmatic regarding her name… Not that I have any right to complain about it. Byleth isn’t a common name after all._

_Maybe I should consider buying a karaoke set so she could practice and entertain ourselves… She’s been quite adamant with her passion. Hopefully, I have enough cash to spare in my account. It’s been a while since the kids asked me for something._

As he spent the minutes away, the former mercenary could see two people, a man and a young lady, with a familiar shade of green and the latter waving her hands as they approached him.

Byleth removed his earphones. “Seteth, Flayn… I’m surprised to see you two.”

“It’s a good morning, professor-err-I mean Mr. Eisner. Are we not allowed to see a friend off before he leaves?” Flayn, or this case Marie Whitten replied. “I have to give you something for the kids at the orphanage after all.”

The dark-teal haired man turned to the detective. He simply shrugged in response.

“Please don’t tell me it’s fish. The guards won’t let me board the plane if that’s the case.”

The young lady pouted but immediately smiled. “I’m not that pushy when it comes to something I like, you know. Though I have to admit I initially planned on giving you some of last week’s haul before father stopped me.”

“You could’ve just mailed that you know. I remember giving you the orphanage’s address not so long ago.”

“I know and I almost forgot that if not for dad. So…” Flayn brought out a box from her bag. It contained a cartoony black and yellow plush toy.

“A Pichu plush?”

“Yep, the genuine article. Took me quite a while to find one, including the other electric cuties which I’ve already mailed to the orphanage. It should arrive there once you get there too.”

“Thanks, the kids will love it, especially Daisy. How did you find them though? I thought that there were only a few made in production, especially the spiky-eared one.” He inquired, pointing to the electric rodent’s ears for emphasis.

“She found them as the first-place prize in a Pokémon tournament at Leicester.” Seteth explained. “I’m quite surprised she won given there are tons of professional gamers, who could easily sweep the competition, present in the event.”

“Whoa…” Was all Byleth could say.

“They didn’t expect a girl like me there really.” Flayn supplied. “I can still remember their faces of disbelief when I floored them. It took me quite a while to study the current metagame and build the perfect team to win the competition. I swear it took me a lot of soft resets to get what I needed…” She said, muttering the last sentence to herself.

“It was a slaughter.” Seteth described. “Then again, the entire competition was full of mind games.”

“Remind me not to get on your bad side.” Byleth immediately said to her.

**< ANNOUNCEMENT. THE PLANE DEPARTING FOR KILDARE, BRIGID: BE15 IS NOW READY. ALL PASSENGERS PLEASE PROCEED TO TERMINAL 5>**

“Well, there’s my flight.” The former mercenary said grabbing his suitcase. “Bye for now.”

“We can say the same as well. Hopefully we wouldn’t have to meet again during drastic times.” The detective replied.

“Farewell, Byleth! We wish you and the kids the best in Brigid! And give us a text or call from time to time!” His daughter yelled, waving her hands.

Byleth looked back to them as he walked away. He gave a smile and waved two fingers from his free hand.

* * *

**7:30 AM, July 24 – R.E. 2011  
BE15, Cabin**

_So, they chose to name their planes after the Black Eagles, huh._ Byleth thought as he read the pamphlet. _I thought they wouldn’t do that since the [Hresvelgr Law] states of a massive restriction to any term or symbol that may be associated to Edelgard back in B.R. 1180. They probably considered the fact the Black Eagles were still a major part of Adrestia’s society and was only tainted with disgrace when the emperor declared war._

_But there’s the Varley Apartments and Bernadetta was part of the army… No… She bailed the moment the army has reached Gronder Fields. It’s possible that she immediately went into hiding and secretly helped in rebuilding the nation after the war. At least she somewhat heeded my warning of Edelgard’s plan of using her as bait for the feral Dimitri. The girl wasn’t exactly interested in fighting and doesn’t have a high regard for Adrestia’s nobility._

Byleth returned the pamphlet and leaned back to his seat. _Didn’t expect I’d end up reminiscing about the past after all this time. The fact that I’ve read up Fodlan’s history doesn’t help matters…_

_What’s done is done. I should be glad now that I’m finally free from all that mess and I could focus on much more important things._

_Like preparing for the role of being a caretaker for all those kids in the orphanage._

**< WE ARE NOW PREPARING FOR LIFTOFF>**

* * *

**3:07 PM, July 26 – R.E. 2011  
Ruadan Cemetery**

There was much rejoicing after Byleth got home in the Rainflower Orphanage. The kids immediately pounced on him as soon as he announced his presence. He had to calm them down with the sweets and chocolate he bought for them and checked if the package Flayn sent to them were preserved properly.

The day after his return, he along with Daisy, decided to pay a visit to a few people

Both child and caretaker placed down bouquets of flowers on certain tombstones.

“Hey, long time no see, Simon… Lumina… Milena….” Byleth said with a melancholic smile.

It all started during a stormy night with a phone call telling him to make his way immediately to one of the Kaga Clan subsidiary offices in Enbarr. He noticed the panic from the caller’s voice and ran for it. Once Byleth arrived on the scene, he found out that Simon killed one of the clan’s patriarchs, Validar Almedio.

The conniving patriarch was notoriously known for getting everything he wanted, specifically money, info, and women, by any means necessary. It turns out that the woman he currently fancies just happens to be Milena, a fellow orphan living in the same orphanage as he is.

Familial instinct won over clan loyalty, which ended up with Simon firing a bullet to the man’s heart as the patriarch forcefully tried to put himself on her.

Byleth knew that if he were to be caught, he wouldn’t be able to pay for his younger sister Lumina’s medical treatment. And thus, he chose to take the fall for his friend.

But, little did he knew about the grave consequences of his choice.

“A year has passed since it happened… But I’m doing what I can for myself and the kids.” Byleth started. After the incident, the man spent a long time sorting out loose ends in the clan, reapplying for licenses and certificates (especially his driver’s license), and finalizing the documents pertaining the ownership of the orphanage.

“Hey, uncle.” Daisy called out as she approached him.

The man looked at the girl. This little brunette was the daughter of Milena whom he met after his ten-year sentence. It was through her he found himself in quite a predicament pertaining a hefty amount of money hidden who knows where which a lot of people seem to be dead set in getting by using the girl. Byleth ended up being some sort of guardian to her while trying to find out what the hell is going on.

A lot happened, apparently.

Moving on, Byleth took it upon himself to take care of the girl after her mother’s untimely passing. He had to fill out a few documents so she could be placed in the orphanage and he would be her official guardian.

“Do you think they’re doing okay wherever they are?” She asked. “Especially, mom?”

“I’m sure she is.” He answered with a heavy sigh. _Although, I could only pray that Simon somewhat found a measure of peace after everything that happened._ “Did you place the flowers properly on their graves?”

The little girl nodded. “I’d… like to stay for a while and talk to mom.”

“Alright… Take as long as you need.”

* * *

Silence loomed in the air and after paying his respects to the people he met over the years, Byleth made his way outside the graveyard.

“Uncle, come on!” Daisy shouted from the van Byleth bought for the orphanage three months ago.

“Alright, alright, I’m coming.” He replied, doing a quick jog.

But, as soon as Byleth stepped out the graveyard, he felt his surroundings stop for a moment. Everything felt awfully familiar. It couldn’t be…

All he could hear was the sound of glass breaking as everything faded to black.

* * *

**Unknown Time, Unknown Date  
Throne of the Goddess - Sirius**

The Divine Pulse was definitely used. The stone throne in front of him was a dead giveaway. Byleth would often get a short glimpse of it from his past dreams and every time he used the ability given to him.

“It has been a long time, Ashen Demon.” A feminine voice called out as a little girl appeared on the throne.

Sothis, the goddess that _supposedly_ bestowed life and knowledge through Fodlan and its inhabitants. He heard the description too many times from the Church of Seiros, especially from the archbishop.

“Yeah, it has…” He didn’t know what to feel on this matter.

Happy?

Angry?

Sad?

Disappointed?

A mix of all four?

But what Byleth could certainly feel is a migraine coming on.

One hell of a migraine.

“I am certain that you have a lot of questions in mind.” Sothis said. “Oh, quit it with that look! Even I am not happy that we are back to this place at all and you would be dragged again to the past! Especially that you, now the Dragon of Remire, have made a place for yourself in the present time!”

Byleth simply crossed his arms, trying his hardest to ignore the searing headache. “Just what is happening, really?”

The green-haired goddess slouched on her throne. “What indeed…” She muttered, waving her hand as an eastern smoke pipe appeared in her hand.

“Never in my life that I’d see a little girl using a kiseru. Especially one who calls herself a goddess.” The man said aloud. It just looks so wrong…

“Say what you will, Byleth. You and I are no different when it comes to several vices the modern world has provided.” She retorted after taking a quick whiff. “Anyway, the first thing I want to address is the connection you and I have through the crest that was once plastered on your heart.”

“The [Crest of Flames] was destroyed the moment Edelgard killed Rhea at Fhirdiad.” Byleth stated. He felt a crack in his chest before falling unconscious and finding himself back at Remire after the emperor dealt the killing blow.

The late archbishop’s obsession towards him always creeped him out, especially after he fully grasped the concept of emotions. Upon arranging the pieces regarding their convoluted relationship, he made himself drink his heart out in the usual bar he frequented and hoped that the hangover would make him forget this frightening discovery.

And he might as well find an excuse to get drunk again since he unwillingly remembered it.

“That is certainly correct.” The goddess confirmed, feeling a bit bitter over the demise of her youngest child. Seiros has always been the most emotional among the four of her children, always charging in headfirst without considering whether her choice is right or wrong. It’s what often gets her in trouble.

Sothis couldn’t say for certain if she truly deserved it or not, given her daughter’s millennium-long delusion of the world’s order being restored should she be revived.

“The crest embedded in you is what initially tied us together.” She started off. “When our souls merged, it would simply remain in your heart, serving as a lifeline to ensure your body can withstand the changes, until your ascent to godhood. It would have gone on normally if not for my daughter’s death, whose life seems to be one keeping it intact given the fact it was her who placed it in you in the first place.”

“It somewhat explains why my hair went back to its usual shade.” Byleth mused. He preferred it this way, really... “Well, at least we have some common ground regarding the crest’s existence inside me.”

“You still have some of these changes in your body, though it is more in the internal side similar to the composition of the Nabateans.” Sothis pointed out. “I bet that you have at least once wondered why you do not get any complications when smoking or drinking.”

The ex-mercenary shrugged. “Not really... Just thought it’s neat that I have some sort of strong tolerance.”

The goddess sighed. “Well, so much for that… Moving on… With the crest’s destruction, mana is periodically released outside your body every time you went back in time. Since you directly used my power, the mana in you is fully expelled permanently which makes you unable to use magic and the Divine Pulse. And like I have said before, the termination of our connection which prevented me from contacting you.”

“No wonder I can’t use them anymore.” He muttered. Not that he had an actual need for them. “And it explains why I couldn’t talk to you at all… For some reason, I don’t feel mad at all…” The whole experience just made him numb, wanting to forget it all and find a way to move on with his life.

“I do not think I deserve to ask for your forgiveness. By no means am I perfect at all, despite what the church claims me to be. Even I could not foresee the massive drawbacks of bestowing my power to a mortal.” She stated. “But, even with such loses, the Crests of Flames and Seiros still reside within in you.”

Byleth raised an eyebrow at her last statement. “…I’m also using the [Crest of Seiros]?” He asked. “I thought it wouldn’t be possible because of the crest once imbedded in me.”

“We came to that conclusion when we checked your crest on Hanneman’s crest analyser, but it turns out that is not the case.” Sothis replied. “It seems that the Crest of Seiros acts an amplifier that boosts the strength you receive from the Crest of Flames. Furthermore, your strong spirit has overpowered them and thus, they submit and awaken to your will without any repercussions to your body.” She added. “You can thank your tumultuous life for that.”

“That’s rad…” He commented. All that hard work paid off quite nicely.

“Honestly, this is all just my observation.” The goddess admitted. “I have seen you use it whenever you feel like it or you just wanted to put an end to a situation. Your approach in combat has changed over the years.”

“Made all of my techniques non-lethal.” Byleth stated. He has never killed a man ever since travelling into the future. There were several instances of him almost killing someone, but he’s talked out of it or realized that he has nothing to gain from murdering them.

His ten-year incarceration gave him all the time he needed to revise his skill set. No one wanted to mess with him there after someone had the balls to assassinate him one day.

It was also a shame that he got his ass handed to him by Gangrel before he can apply those revisions after getting out of jail. His pride was slightly hurt, but with his senior’s constant pestering, he managed to get back up and repay the favour.

If possible, he’d like to keep this murder-free streak for the rest of his life.

“Anyway, I have yet to discern what caused the Divine Pulse to activate seeing that the two of us did not use it.” Sothis continued.

“Could it be someone else?” Byleth suggested. A farfetched theory but it’s somewhat possible if they’re going by the multiverse theory.

“Perhaps… Or it could be the timestream trying to make up for its losses.”

“Meaning?”

“Remember that you originally belong in the Imperial Year of 1180. With the use of Divine Pulse to send you into the future, you removed yourself from the past.” The green-haired goddess explained. “The loss of a possible key in shaping Fodlan’s future made the timeline adjust to this abrupt change. I believe it trying to take back what it thinks is rightfully it.”

“Sounds convoluted as hell.” The ex-mercenary commented.

“Explaining time travel is not as easy as you think.” She retorted.

“Still, was it a bad decision of me to use the Divine Pulse for a selfish reason?”

“No. What you did is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I would have encouraged you to find a way to free yourself from your cursed bindings. Exerting yourself over a lost cause will only lead you to insanity.”

“And time is forcing me go through all this again…” Byleth sighed and took a moment to think.

“Guess I better make sure this is the last. Once and for all.” He declared.

“You have made you decision rather quickly.” Sothis pointed out.

“Make no mistake. I certainly hate being dragged into that mess. Hell, I don’t want any part of it ever since I dug up all the dirt regarding the mess Fodlan has created for itself. A lot of it could’ve been avoided if they bothered to talk about it.” Byleth replied. Everything happened due to a lack of communication and in turn, became riddled with misunderstandings.

“But even so, I believe this is the perfect opportunity to pay some of my debts in full.”

* * *

**Evening, 20 th Day of the Great Tree Moon  
Longfort Inn, 2nd Floor, Room 1**

“Will the boss’ kid be alright, Ellen?” A man sitting near the bed where a young adult was sleeping in odd silence. “It’s been hours or so after he fell unconscious.”

“I have no idea what the hell is going on, Klein.” Ellen replied. “His pulse is normal, there’s no visible injuries, and he doesn’t seem to be suffering from a high fever. This is just beyond my knowledge.”

“And we’re in a bad time right now.” Klein added. “Bandits are in the area looking for those three nobles from the monastery and the boss has everyone, save for the two of us, mobilized to deal with those bastards.”

“I just hope everything goes well.” The cleric prayed.

* * *

_A little girl pouted as she saw me. “You’re still fishing this late at night, Uncle? Everyone’s in their beds, you know.”_

_I chuckled, tightening my grip on my wooden fishing rod. Can’t let the fish think I’m getting sloppy. “Once you reach my age, you’d prefer to do things at a more relaxed pace.” I said to her, taking a quick moment to get a pretzel stick from my side. “It just happens that I consider fishing at night to be therapeutic.”_

_She frowned as she took a seat beside me. “I don’t understand anything you’ve said.”_

_I can let the fish checking the bait get his way for now, I suppose. She probably wants to talk about something troubling her or just hang out with me given there’s nothing to do besides sleeping._

_Ok… How do I begin with this one? “You’ll understand one day. It doesn’t have to be right now.” I assured her, patting her head. “Finding one’s passion takes years to fully realize.”_

_The little girl hummed. “Then, can I consider learning magic my passion?”_

_“Do you enjoy studying it?” I asked and she nodded. “Then there’s your starting point.”_

* * *

Just then, the man in question suddenly rose from his bed, shocking the two mercenaries.

“What happened?” Byleth asked. _That was one strange dream… I’ll have to keep that in mind. It feels all too familiar._

“Well…” Klein just didn’t know where to begin. Did they change his clothes?

“We were ordered by the captain to watch over you since fell unconscious on our way here in Remire.” Ellen answered for her partner. “The guys found several people asking for assistance since some bandits attacked them when they were preparing camp and had to flee here.”

“I assume my old man is handling them?” He asked.

The two nodded, somewhat taken aback by the tone of his question.

Byleth stood up and opened the window. “Ensure the villagers are safe.” He ordered. “I’ll go and help the captain with this bandit problem.” He said and leapt off the building.

“Let’s go…” Klein nudged her to move.

“Yeah…”

* * *

**Evening, 20 th Day of the Great Tree Moon  
Remire Village, Plaza**

Byleth made a beeline towards the village outskirts, not before requesting several items from the people.

_"I am utilizing all the power I have left to maintain our current link. This will break as soon as you wake up in Remire and I will only be able to reconstruct said link once you reach the throne under Garreg Mach. Our actual locations are still far off from each other and I need us to be close to make it happen. Fortunately, Seteth and Flayn will assist you in this so you will not have to do anything ridiculous just to get there.”_

_“Wait, they’re also being dragged into this?”_

_“I said before that you originally belong in I.Y. 1180. The same applies to them. I have explained it to them, but you are better off hearing their reception to this yourself.”_

_“Well, at least our_ first _meeting won’t be as nerve-wracking as before.”_

_“Remember, Byleth, you only have one shot at this. You do not have any magic to utilize or me to use the Divine Pulse to bail you out from mistakes. Only your strength and wits.”_

_“_ _But… Once you get past the hurdles, we proceed with our plans, discuss what we have found on our sides what could be the cause for all this without any hindrance and if possible, interfere with the pieces placed in this abstruse story fast enough before Edelgard can gain the authority to declare war.”_

_“So, make this one count, Dragon of Remire… For all of us.”_

He could see a familiar shade of white fending off several outlaws. Byleth readied his fist.

“Alright, let’s do this!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since he is no longer a part of the 3H history, Byleth is free to do whatever the hell he wants, which explains his new look and some of his life choices mentioned, good or not. He still isn’t the brightest when it comes to making decisions, but he makes the most out of them.
> 
> Byleth mellowed out of his emotionless state over the years (time loops also counted despite some of his actions) and can express his thoughts much clearly now. The guy’s not naïve and socially retarded as he used to be. He still has his serious disposition due to his new lifestyle though. 
> 
> But that has its slight downsides, especially with the fact he can no longer use magic or the Divine Pulse. Not that he’d ever want anything about them anymore. Byleth developed something to counteract that loss. It’d be for a future chapter, so that’s something to look forward to.
> 
> His time in the modern world gave him a better appreciation regarding life, respecting the concept of time, learning to accept whatever may happen and facing them head on. Seteth and Flayn are alive in this time as well. As said earlier, their reunion will be revealed in a later chapter.
> 
> I may need a clearer explanation on what happened, to be honest. But it’ll do for now until I come up with a better one. Feel free to point out if there’s anything that doesn’t make sense at all. 
> 
> The next chapter may take long depending on how I can make it a curbstomp of a battle in Byleth’s side. I’m not that confident in writing action scenes, but hopefully it’d be interesting enough without dragging it for too long. 
> 
> I also want to go slow on showing glimpses of Bylad’s struggles in the past and his new life after travelling into the future.


	3. Outlaw's Lullaby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Ashen Demon/Dragon of Remire proceeds to curbstomp every bandit in the vicinity and slowly reintegrate to a society he was once part of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, boy... Here we go again.

**Evening, 20 th Day of the Great Tree Moon – I.Y. / B.R. 1180   
Remire Village Outskirts**

Everyone could only stare in bewilderment at the sharply dressed dark-teal haired man who came from behind the white-haired noblewoman and send a bandit down to the ground with a single punch.

Byleth reached out for the pack of cigarettes on his pocket but chose not to bring it out. _I was hoping for a quick smoke while thinking of how I’ll approach this one, but it’s for the best that I wrap this one up quickly. Still, I should have brought a pack of pocky for an alternative. So much for being prepared…_

_Hopefully, the village would be willing to give me pretzel sticks as payment. It’s been a long time ever since I ate the ones you’d see in the markets in this era._

Claude could only hum in awe. _You don’t see something like that every day, especially those odd clothes. Although…_

“…Is he insane?” Dimitri wondered not too loud to give away their position. “He doesn’t have any weapons on him. Does he plan on fighting them all unarmed?” 

“It looked like he was about to take out something from his pocket but relented.” The Golden Deer leader commented. “I must admit though, I’m quite curious on how he’ll deal with them.”

“The fuck you lookin at, peacock!” One of the bandits growled.

The ex-mercenary blinked his eyes in disbelief. _Really? Is that the best you could come up with?_ “Is there anything wrong with what I did?” He asked. “As far as I know, you lot tried to kill this student of Garreg Mach.”

“An what’s it to you?!”

“Well…” Byleth shot a glance to the pale-haired future emperor before turning his attention back to them. “It doesn’t sit well for me that you guys decided to attack the three future leaders of Fodlan with no hesitation. Do you guys even realize the consequences should you succeed?”

“Who cares about ‘em?!”

He shrugged. They’re a lost cause no matter the timeline. “Well, don’t blame me if the entire continent, including the church, decides to hunt you down.”

The bandits looked certainly alarmed.

Recovering his senses, Kostas, the bandit leader, sprung up. “A wise guy and a chivalrous knight, aren’t ya?” He surmised, twirling his weapon before pointing it to him. “Hope you believe in the Goddess, jackass. Coz I’m sendin you straight into the afterlife!”

“We’ll see about that.” Byleth replied, cracking his knuckles before glancing to the girl again. “You might wanna stay back.”

Edelgard von Hresvelg looked somewhat confused and clearly intimidated by his appearance. For some reason, her instinct keeps telling her to run immediately from him. “…Are you certain about this?” She asked. “There’s an awful lot of them. Not that I doubt your strength or anything, but shouldn’t it be the best choice of action that me and my companions offer support until reinforcements arrive?”

“No need.” He replied, the serious tone cementing it.

The future empress hesitantly nodded and backed away. Might as well comply for now. “…I do hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.” She said and retreated.

Now that she left the scene, the dragon could finally run wild.

“C’MON!”

* * *

Upon retreating to where Dimitri and Claude where hiding for their botched ambush, Edelgard found herself speechless at the carnage unfolding before her eyes.

Kostas had slammed his axe towards the ex-yakuza, but for him, it was too predictable. Byleth evaded the attack then stepped on the weapon’s shaft, delivering a menacing left kick straight to the man’s face that sends him to the ground again. After that, he kicked the middle portion of the handle to the air and grabbed it.

Claude whistled in awe.

Two bandits charged towards him to impale him but the man in grey clothes simply parried the swords with the axe he nabbed and swung it into their faces as if it was a baseball bat. As soon as the weapon broke from the impact, Byleth grabbed their heads and smashed them together.

Another took the chance to hit him behind. All he got from the attempted backstab is a mean left backhand strike, a gut-wrenching body blow, and a swift roundhouse kick.

When one of the brigands approached him, Byleth brought a bag of nails from his pocket which he took from Remire’s villagers as a quick request. Such action made everyone stop from their tracks and wonder why.

“What is he even-” As Dimitri attempted to voice out everyone’s concern, Byleth simply raised an eyebrow as he took a fistful of nails from the pouch with his free hand.

And everyone in the battlefield felt their stomachs churn as he forcefully shoved the metal pins down to the outlaw’s mouth and pushed him away. The brigand let out a muffled scream as he tried to remove all of it, only to be kicked in the face that knocked him out cold.

“WHO’S NEXT?!”

* * *

Jeralt Reus Eisner, much like the three house leaders, could only watch in mixed emotions as his son beat down bandits as if it was just an ordinary day for him.

The mercenary captain knows that he only taught Byleth basic hand-to-hand combat and disarming techniques.

Yet the kid fights unarmed with ease, using anything he can get as a weapon, and even does some movements which is downright impossible for him to copy at all like that one where he made a mad dash to the enemy and used the poor sap as some sort of pillar to spin around and kick those near them before grabbing him by the head and dunking him to the hard earth.

He just didn’t know where to begin figuring out how Byleth could even deliver straightforward brutality. The kid was such an oddball at times, but this sudden burst of liveliness right now made him wonder if there was something different with him that he never noticed.

He could ask him after all this is done with, given that he’s making quick work on the brigands, but how would he even approach this one? This was just all too foreign to him.

There was a loud crash and a man writhing in pain as he soothed his groin.

It just happens that Byleth apparently threw the unlucky sap to the trunk of a tree, legs first and wide open. The kid even kicks the guy’s face, which somehow looks like a short flight.

That’s gotta hurt…

* * *

Byleth punched his next victim in the face and manipulated the bandit’s arm in a way his hand carrying a knife would stab the right side of the guy’s stomach. He then pulled it out and threw it into the air.

An archer hiding in the bush, waiting for the perfect moment to hit the cocky bastard, found himself screaming in shock as he found a knife deep in his shoulder. Before he could pull it out, Byleth drags him out of his spot, throws him into the air and dropkicks him to his allies.

“By the goddess…” Was all Edelgard could say out of fear and admiration. She has never seen such ferocity in battle.

Claude hummed. “Now that is something. I have to try that out for myself.” Never in his life did he saw someone kick a knife with such speed and precision.

“You’re more likely to stab yourself than hit anyone with that.” Dimitri replied. “And by the looks of it, he seems to have practised that a lot to make it work alongside the rest of those foreign techniques he used…” He said as Byleth grabbed his next victim, switching the places of the man’s head and feet before leaping up and slamming him to the ground.

The dark-teal haired man picked up a slab of wood from the fence that got destroyed from subduing a bandit via shoulder back toss and proceeds to sweep the enemy in front of him off his feet. Byleth then slams it to the man’s torso.

He rolled to the right to avoid an incoming axe swing then forward and delivered a headbutt to the target’s groin. With the thug stunned from the debilitating attack, Byleth sprung up and landed a somersault kick on top of his target’s head.

Another idiot tries to shank him, but Byleth quickly grabbed him by the shirt and threw him onto the previous bandit he knocked out.

“I’m feeling somewhat nostalgic...” The ex-mercenary mused before kicking the next sucker in the head. “Then again, it’s been a while since I last fought.” He added, throwing in another one for good measure. “Now that I think about it, why do majority of the punks in the city look for a fight with me?” Byleth wondered while evading a punch from a bandit and retaliating by grabbing the arm, breaking the elbow with his knee, and then knocking the assailant out with a punch of his own.

When Kostas got back up again to hit him, Byleth simply sidestepped to the right, grabbed his arm and twisted it, then swept the bandit leader off his feet. He stomped Kostas’s face once he landed on the ground and dug his heel further to seal the deal. 

“Had enough?” He asked.

“Screw you!” Kostas yelled, pushing his foot away and standing back up. “Get up, ya idiots!” He ordered to his men. Only five could manage to stand up and barely. The rest were either unconscious or screaming in pain from the beatdown they received.

“I really went all out, huh?” Byleth remarked at the sight. _Last time I remember fighting these guys, there were at least fifty of them. He probably thought this job was an easy one for him to bring only a few of his men. The worst he could do is bring a hundred but that rarely happens._ He looked at his watch _._ _There’s half an hour left before Alois and his band of knights arrive. I better wrap this up so I could at least prepare myself mentally and emotionally for what’s to come after this._

“Get dat damn bastard” His train of thought halted from Kostas’ shout and his cronies making a desperate charge towards him. Byleth casually dodged all their attacks and grabbed the last one who tried to hit him.

“Hey, aren’t you the one who called me a peacock?” He asked to the struggling bandit.

“What’s it… to you jackass?!” The man snapped, unable to break free from his hold. “Got pissed at me… for tellin’ da truth?!”

“Not really... Just wanted to say that this peacock just peacocked your mom not so long ago.” Byleth deadpanned as he let him go, earning a tirade of curses from the man for smearing dirt on his parent’s reputation. _Who would’ve thought that old joke would work on this guy?_ He rammed the face of the offended to the tree to make him shut up.

The man in grey dodged their attacks again. They’re getting sloppy and desperate seeing that none of them could land a hit to him since the beginning of this brawl.

Byleth hopped lightly for a second and dashed towards the nearest bandit. He delivers a superman punch then dashed again to close the distance to the next target.

The second thug earned a combination of an overhand and an uppercut.

The third received a flying roundhouse kick to the face, 

The fourth found his head pounded to the ground from a swift grab.

In a desperate attempt to save his hide from the impending doom, Kostas threw his spare knife towards the man and ran for it. Byleth catches it and throws it back to him. The knife hits the bandit leader’s left shoulder.

He felt his body go limp and fell on his feet. This was just not his day! One man single-handedly took down his band of bandits. This is just madness! The man’s clearly not human!

He knew he shouldn’t have accepted the job from that guy with the weird voice!

Kostas grabbed one of the swords lying around from the carnage and pointed it to him. “Stay back! Stay back!” He cried.

Byleth raised an eyebrow. “Really now?” He asked, approaching the demoralized bandit. “Where’s the bravado you had earlier?”

“Ya cocky sonuva-!” Kostas made a one more try to skewer the man with the sword but Byleth grabbed his arm and snapped it using his knee. He punches the bandit leader and gives him a strong headbutt that forces him down on one knee.

For the final hit, the ex-mercenary threw in a knee strike to the man’s face.

“If you all know what’s good for every one of you, stay down!” Byleth ordered to the entire bandit group. “Do NOT make this worse for yourselves.” He added.

Every brigand in the vicinity seems to have obliged. No one in their right minds would dare to challenge him at this point.

_Well, there’s that. Time for some looting, I suppose._

* * *

**7:45 PM, 20 th Day of the Great Tree Moon – I.Y. / B.R. 1180  
Remire Village Outskirts**

Delighted that he didn’t frighten the villagers, Byleth religiously savoured the pretzel sticks he received as a reward. He made it look like he was lighting a cigarette. Even did the exhaling part of the routine just for the fun of it.

 _I almost forgot how tasty these are._ He thought. _Then again, I’ve mostly eaten flavoured pocky ever since I got out of the hospital. Not that they’re bad or anything, but you got to praise the original for its popularity._

“Kid.” Jeralt called out.

“Old man... Is there anything you need?” He asked before taking another pretzel stick. The ex-yakuza could only wonder what he will say. There’s a lot of things he probably wants to ask him. It varies on every timeline and depending on how he dealt with Kostas and his lackeys.

“The bandits have been rounded up. All we need to do is keep an eye on them until the knights arrive.” His father said. “The villagers are somewhat delighted that you gave them the gold they were carrying.”

“I’ve caused a bit of damage to their fences, so it’s only right I compensate for their losses. And what about those three?” The younger man asked pointing to the trio who seemed to be in a deep conversation.

“Them? Apparently, they want to thank you for saving their skins.” Jeralt replied. “Not sure how they’ll do that though.”

“I see…”

“That and they’re also impressed by the skill you’ve displayed during the fight. Didn’t think you’d make someone eat nails for dinner, as disgusting it is to see...”

“I didn’t have the time to get my bearings properly, so I had to improvise.”

“Given that you’ve just woken up that time.”

“…I apologize for that.”

The father patted his son on the back. “No need, kid. If anything, I’m glad you’ve woken up.”

“So, what happened to me, exactly?”

“You took a dive to dreamland when we got here. I’ve had our clerics examine you, but they couldn’t find anything wrong and considered it as a result of exhaustion.”

“I guess that’s the case…” Byleth mused. Sothis obviously had a hand in that.

“Still, I should have noticed something wrong… But, let me ask, just what are you wearing?” Jeralt asked as he took a closer look to his son’s garments. It looks oddly like the nobles’ uniforms but much simpler and obviously different in colour.

“This?” He feigned wonder. “Did you guys change my clothes when I was asleep? I’m pretty sure I wasn’t wearing these when we got here…”

“Hmm… We’ll go with that reasoning for now. I’ll ask some of our men for confirmation.” The older man sighed.

“Is… there anything wrong?”

“Just some little problems I need to sort out.” He admitted.

“Some of it about me?” The younger man guessed.

“A bit, but I’m not one to ask you immediately. I’m sure you have your reasons… and I need to get everything straight before I make the wrong assumptions.”

Byleth hummed in agreement. This could’ve gone worse. “I’ll be ready to answer it, dad.” He said, a bit strained saying the last word. Talking to his father feels so weird after all this time.

The older man smiled.

“Jeralt?! Is that you, Jeralt?!” A familiar voice boomed.

And the sombre mood just died right there.

Jeralt hung his head. “Well, damn…”

A man with brown hair, silver armour, and a jolly disposition approached the two. “By the goddess, it really is you, Captain Jeralt! It feels like ages since I last saw you.”

“And you’re still loud as ever, Alois.” The rugged mercenary sighed like there’s no tomorrow. “I’m just a mercenary now, so drop the formalities.” He said. “You’re the reinforcements Garreg Mach mobilized?”

The knight nodded. “That I am… Though it seems we’re already late to do anything.” He remarked seeing that the offenders are tied up and just waiting to be handed over to the proper authority. Most of them are horribly beaten up.

“You can thank my kid for dealing with the lot.” Jeralt said, nudging said kid with his elbow to nab his attention.

“Really? This fine young man here?” The brunette knight wondered as he observed the somewhat intimidating boy in grey. You couldn’t see any similarities between the two physically but the mannerisms and serious temperament they both have was clear as any day. For some reason, he could feel an odd air of professionalism radiating from Byleth. 

…Probably of just being part of a mercenary group. But at the same time, it doesn’t seem to be the case.

“Then I thank you for assisting the students of Garreg Mach in their time of need.” He said. “The name’s Alois Rangeld, Knight Captain of the Knights of Seiros. I’ve was under your father’s tutelage years back.” He offered his hand as greeting.

“Byleth Eisner, a civilian.” The dark-teal haired man replied and shook hands with him.

“You certainly share your old man’s dry sense of humour.” Alois commented before turning to the kid’s father. “You didn’t tell anything about what you did back then?” He asked.

“That was a long time ago, Alois.” Jeralt replied. “Hardly relevant to our job.”

The knight slumped. “Anyway, if it’s not a bother, I would like for the two of you to come with me back to the monastery.” He requested. “I’m quite sure that the archbishop would like to know who rescued the three house leaders and be delighted over a familiar face returning after so long.”

“Back to Garreg Mach, huh…” Jeralt couldn’t find an excuse to refuse. He initially planned on staying in Remire to rest after finishing a job near Alliance territory and it’d take a while for a new one to pop up until this happened. It was only a matter of time for the past to catch up.

“I don’t mind coming along.” Byleth stated, surprising him. “But the final decision rests on my old man.”

“So, what it’ll be, captain?” Alois asked.

The mercenary captain sighed in defeat. “Alright, we’ll go.” He answered. “I’m not that dumb enough to try and run away from the Knights of Seiros.”

“Splendid! I’ll inform my men and the students the good news.” He said and left the scene.

There was no end from Jeralt’s sighs. “Sorry about that, kid.” He said. “Looks like we’ll have to put your plan on going independent on hold for now.”

Byleth shook his head. “I really don’t mind.” He assured him. “If anything, I consider this right time to build up some contacts. You’ve taught me how important it is to create connections to make hunting jobs much easier.”

“I suppose I did… But will you be alright?” The older man asked. “You’re not exactly the best when it comes to interacting with other people.”

“I can learn on the way.” The younger man replied. His time in the endless loop and the modern world gave him tips and tricks to improve his social skills. Bits of his time as a real estate manager, convenience store worker and being the Almedio Family’s lieutenant had a hand in shaping his overall perspective towards business. Byleth can apply some of those here. It’s just a matter of when those opportunities will come.

He could negotiate and trade info with the Anna in Garreg Mach for a start.

“If you’re that confident, then go. Don’t be afraid to back out if things are getting hairy.”

Byleth nodded.

* * *

**10:31 PM, 20 th Day of the Great Tree Moon – I.Y. / B.R. 1180  
Wisteria Tavern, Remire Village**

With things settling down, Byleth thought it’d be a nice time to have a drink. Everyone’s allowed to do anything they want before heading for Garreg Mach in the morning.

The barkeep is surprisingly accommodating and told him that drinks are on the house for their saviours. Byleth handed over a few gold coins, which he took from the bandits, to him out of respect to how great the booze the place has. He was a bit confused when the ex-mercenary asked for the simplest cup he has though.

 _All that’s missing is karaoke or a jazz band lighting up some sweet tunes in this place._ Byleth thought as he took a sip from his cup. _It gave anyone a reason to stay up long in Enbarr. That, and the night life just has plenty of things to keep it interesting._

Before heading down the tavern, he checked out his belongings. His brown suitcase was under the bed and had all his clothes intact. Granted, he hasn’t arranged it back to his cabinet in the orphanage.

The only thing that was missing the Dark Creator Sword. Normally, it’d be near him after the time travel and again, Byleth presumes Sothis did something to it to avoid creating some paradoxes or it stayed there in the Holy Mausoleum since he left it alongside the original. At least, it saved him an explanation to his father and comrades.

“Yo, barkeep, grape juice please.”

Byleth turned to see a tan-skinned, black-haired man who was giving him quite the look. He could sense that the boy’s planning something.

“I gotta admit, I’m amazed with the way you handled those thugs earlier.” The boy said. “Never in my life have I seen someone fight like the way you do. I thought it’d be just your regular street brawl but those weird tricks, especially that knife trick, you pulled against those bandits made me reconsider my opinion.”

“A… friend of mine taught me that knife trick.” Byleth replied. “He often pesters me for a fight even in the most unlikely of places.” He chuckled. “I learned a lot from him more than I expected.”

“Really? He must be one hell of a friend then.”

“I attract and meet a lot of oddballs in general.”

“Hmm…”

“So, what’s the future heir to the Leicester Alliance doing in the sticks of all places?”

“You’ve heard, huh…”

“With the nobles of the alliance throwing a fit at your sudden appearance in the roundtable, it’s only a matter of time info like that would spread like wildfire throughout the region.”

“Sounds plausible…” Claude mused. “But honestly, the three of us we’re just going out for extra training. We took too long since Edelgard and I had to convince Dimitri to continue his workout after we get back in the academy. Guy’s one hell of a training nut.”

“Convincing a guy like that to settle things later certainly sounds like a hassle.” Byleth commented while signalling the barkeep for a refill.

“I know right?” The Golden Deer leader replied. “You’d be amazed at the effort of his house mates do to stop him from eating weeds.”

“I see… Anyway, what’s keeping you awake in this hour?” The dark-teal haired man asked.

“Figured I’d give myself a head start.” The brunette answered.

“Meaning?”

“I’ll be frank, I would like it if you become the professor for the Golden Deers.”

The ex-yakuza raised an eyebrow. It was an expected offer, but he didn’t think it’d be this early and for Claude to make the first move. Hell, the three would only do so after he accepted Rhea’s offer.

“I’m quite honoured that you’d give this stranger such a prestigious suggestion, but may I ask what brought you to make such a decision?”

“Well… A man of your calibre would prove to be a boon for any army.” He answered. “Unrivalled might, calm demeanour, and outstanding intellect in combat. Any kingdom would do anything just to get someone like that in their ranks.”

“You could just hire any mercenary or train any cadet with those qualifications.”

“You can… but there’s something interesting regarding you, to be honest.”

“Hmm?”

“I mean, you’d be an idiot not to try and convince to get the Blade Breaker or you, the Ashen Demon to lend their service to one of the three nations.”

 _It’s been a while since anyone referred to me by that title._ “So, my and the old man’s exploits have been heard far and wide, huh?”

“Totally… An acquaintance of mine wouldn’t shut up about your pops and claims you’re ungrateful towards all his unbridled glory.” Claude whined as playfully shook the ice on his cup. “Jeralt this, Jeralt that. She might as well start a religion about your old man.” He said, drinking the mild irritation away.

“Then, I’ll have to refuse.” Byleth concluded.

“Can I ask why?” The younger man asked, somewhat surprised at his answer.

“I have my reasons… If possible, I’d like to gather more info before coming to a decision.”

“Really, now?”

“I may not look like it, but I know little about Fodlan and its inhabitants. The only thing that mattered to me is getting my paycheck. I’d like to get over that habit and I prefer being a free man.”

“I see...” Claude muttered, somewhat disappointed. “Then I suppose it’d be stupid of me to nag until you relent, but I hope you don’t mind me having a chat with you from time to time. It’d be a nice change of pace from politics.”

“Sure, whenever I feel like it.”

“Alright, it’s time I hit the hay.” The boy stood up, leaving a few gold coins on the table. “Do be careful around Edelgard and Dimitri. They’ll certainly try to rope you into their flock like I did.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite 10 years in prison and a month of getting back up to speed, Byleth still hits like a truck. If we convert that to the game, he’d be an endgame unit with stats nearly maxed out except MAG, which is at 0, for obvious reasons. I’ll be going in-depth with his fighting style soon enough. Think of this chapter being a preview of it.
> 
> Regarding about his two swords... Don’t worry. They’ll make their grand appearance in the right time.
> 
> And remember everyone, Byleth didn’t kill anyone.


End file.
